Anderson Silva will throw down with Nick Diaz at UFC 183, but until he does, the MMA world will continue to wonder how “The Spider” will perform.

Will the former middleweight champ be as explosive and agile as he was? Before he broke his leg against Chris Weidman in 2013? Will the legendary fighter still fire off highlight reel kicks?

Well, based off what some of his teammates have been saying leading up to the January 31st fight, the answer to those questions is yes. Recently Rafael Cavalcante spoke with MMA Fighting.com, and while discussing his Team Nogueira teammate, “Feijao” relayed:

“I just returned from an injury, and I’m getting beat up in training [laughs],” Cavalcante said. “He’s training hard, I’m really impressed. He’s dedicated, and he will bring this win for the team.”

And when Cavalcante was asked whether Silva’s shown any sign of a mental block, in terms of throwing kicks, the former Strikeforce champ stated:

“I wish he had this mental block because he’s kicking me a lot, and he’s kicking f—ing hard,” Cavalcante said. “He’s bigger than me, so he usually kicks me a lot in training because I like to close the distance when I’m fighting. He’s kicking hard, thank God.”

How about that huh? Of course, some will say Silva’s teammates could be exaggerating, but by all accounts, it sounds like the fighter’s recovery has gone extremely well. Silva-Diaz is a fascinating fight on so many levels, and if Silva wins, he’ll likely secure another title shot.

Diaz, meanwhile, will be fighting for the first time since March, 2013, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Georges St-Pierre.

UFC 183 will be hosted by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card will be available via pay-per-view.